


Hangman's noose

by Pink_Polenta



Series: The Adventures of Desmond [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, More Magic, OC, medieval times, sassfest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 10:43:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4916464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pink_Polenta/pseuds/Pink_Polenta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Desmond's first visit to an alien planet.</p><p>The Doctor tries to friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Desmond floats

**Author's Note:**

> Clara and the Doctor (and Desmond) visit castle sassalot

"That’s not the right clothing, Doctor”  
"Something must be broken again.”  
"Or you got the wrong date.”  
"Puh”

Clara rolled her eyes and the Doctor left the TARDIS. All while Desmond looked on in silent confusion.

"Come on then Desmond, lets follow the Doctor before he gets into trouble.”

——————————————————

"Admit it Doctor, you got the date wrong.”

Clara gave the Doctor an annoyed look while they walked through a market. It was a very normal medieval earth market. Not a renaissance fair, not a reenactment, a real medieval market.

"Since when do you dislike the medieval times? I thought you quite enjoyed our visit to Robin.”

The Doctor quickly jumped to the left, not to escape Clara’s deathly glare, but to not be hit by a bucket of rotten food. For a fleeing moment he missed the times he carried an umbrella with him all the time.

"What a waste.”  
"Much better to eat it in time.”  
"You two must be new around here.”  
"Sorry?”

The voice came from a wise looking elderly lady.

"The food has been rotting strangely fast of late. We’re close to having a famine. Most blame witchcraft, but I believe it might be something else.”  
"Then you’re a very wise woman indeed. Far beyond your time in fact.”  
"Just get on with it, Doctor.”

Clara excused them while the Doctor grabbed one of the rotten fruits. The walked to a more secured place and the Doctor scanned the rotten apple with his sonic.

"Peculiar. It seems that the natural rotting proces has been artificially sped up.”  
"That’s literally what she just said.”  
"They were only just speculating an outside force, I am sure it is an outside force.”  
"Just give in, you didn’t find anything new.”  
"If I bring this to the TARDIS, I can trace the source of the speeding up.”  
"Doctor.”  
"Yes?”  
"Where is Desmond?”  
"Somewhere over there.”

The Doctor waved his arm in the general direction of a wall.

"You left him on his own?”  
"Technically we did.”  
"Don’t avoid the topic.”  
"He’s an adult, he can take care of himself.”  
"You always tell me not to wander off.”  
"I don’t like him.”  
——————————————————

On the way to the TARDIS, the Doctor and Clara passed a busy square (which was shaped as an oval). In the middle of the OVAL was a platform (rectangle shape) which had a noose hanging from the crossbeam above the rectangle. Around the rectangle platform a large crowd had assimilated.

"I wonder what all this commotion is about.”  
"Well obviously, someone is going to get hanged.”

Clara sighed at this announcement courtesy of the Doctor and walked up to someone in the crowd to ask what was going on.  
"What’s going on?”  
"They’re going to hang the witch responsible for the rotten food.”

The man was obviously excited. From somewhere in the crowd came an interesting exclamation.

"Today is a good day for a hanging.”

…

"Doctor, how can these people possibly be excited about someone’s death?”  
"Well, you watch horror films for fun.”  
"That’s different.”  
"How is that different?”  
"People don’t really die in those. The deaths are fake!”  
"In the Crow they did.”  
"Not every film is the Crow.. But didn’t they burn witches?”  
"Don’t believe everything they say in films. They show the incorrect way. Here they do it the historically correct way.”  
"Of course they do, this is is the past.”

Their sassfest was cut short by the arrival of ‚The Witch’. He was being brought up to the rectangle platform with a black sack over his head. His hands were bound behind his back and his clothes were oddly familiar. The sack was removed and-

"Now listen here! I am not a witch. It was just an illusion, a trick!”  
"I left him alone for five minutes.”


	2. Half a brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desmond is in trouble. How will the Doctor get him out of it?

“That was not five minutes. Also, the adult needs your help, Doctor.”

The Doctor sighed and made his way to the rectangle.

“Hold your horses, this man is speaking the truth.”  
“We don’t have any horses.”  
“Figure of speech. Anyhow, this man can’t be responsible for your rotten fruit, he only just arrived.”  
“How should you know?”  
“I was with him?”  
“Then you shall hang with him.”

The crowd cheered and the Doctor rolled his eyes. The crowd pushed the Doctor and forced him onto the rectangle as well. Clara face-palmed at the sight of the Doctor being pushed onto the rectangle. 

“Let me get this straight, you’re going to hang me too, because I am the prove of him being innocent? That makes no logical sense.”

 

Both Clara and Desmond looked at the doctor after he said this, both were thinking the exact same thing: It would not be the first time your evidence got us into more trouble. 

“No, because you’re lying and must be a witch too.”  
“This is going nowhere. Look, you have two choices. One, you let me go and I’ll find the true cause of the rotten food. Two, you hang us both and you’ll be left with food that’ll continue rotting too fast.”  
“LIES”

The Doctor seemed to be facing a group of idiots, if there was only one person with half a brain. At that moment, while Clara was looking at the palm of her hand and Desmond was staring at the executioner someone in the crowd stepped forward. 

“I trust this man and his judgement, I think we should hear him out.”

It was the nice elderly lady the Doctor spoke with before.

“Can you please just listen to the intelligent woman?”

 

The man who had said that the Doctor should be executed too sighed and looked at the woman. 

“Okay we’ll see, but we will keep the witch prisoner.”  
“You’re only listening to her because she’s your mom, I knew you shouldn’t be major of this place.”  
“Shut up Steve. No one cares about your opinion”

Steve grumbled and The Doctor was released. Then out of nowhere Clara was pushed forward too. 

“I believe she’s with him too.”  
“How did you think of that?”  
“She didn’t look surprised at his actions at all, more annoyed like she has to deal with this every day.”  
“I can’t argue with that.”

Clara agreed because that was basically the story of her life. Desmond on the other hand was more outraged.

“You can reason that, but you can’t see the logic of Illusions. I really wish I could’ve stayed on Thesmos.”  
“Thesmos?”  
“Ignore the idiot.”  
“Which one?”  
“Shut it Steve.”  
“I’m not Steve, he is over there.”  
“As major of the town I’ll take control of this situation and I want everyone to shut up. I need to think.”  
“I am surprised you can.”  
“Doctor, you’re not helping.”  
“SHUT UP.”

Silence fell.

“ I have decided.”  
“Finally.”  
“The girl and the witch-”  
“I’m not a witch.”  
“The young man, are to stay in our prison while the older man solves our rotten food problem.”  
“I’m Clara, that is Desmond and he’s the Doctor.”  
“He’s a physician?”  
“No.”  
“Hold on, I can’t do this on my own.”  
“Yes he needs someone to impress with his cleverness, otherwise he can’t function.”  
“Oi”  
“It’s true. A genius needs an audience.”  
“I can go with him.”  
“I can’t work with Steve. I need someone with some brain capacity.”  
“Then I’ll go.”

It was the wise looking elderly woman. Considering she didn’t only look wise, but was smart as well, she fitted the bill.

“You’ll do, what is your name?”  
“Aldith.”  
“Well then, Aldith, come with me.”

The Doctor offered his arm to Aldith and she gladly took it. Together they left in the direction of the TARDIS.

“Seems we’re going to be stuck in jail for the duration of this adventure, Desmond.”  
“And I thought you two were helping me getting away from it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve is short for Steven, which is according to 'Behind the Name' the Medieval English version of Stephen. We didn't know either.


	3. Reagonns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aldith and The Doctor solve a mystery while Desmond and Clara suffer in jail.

“This was not what I was expecting.”  
“They don’t have stone underground dungeons in towns with no castles.”  
“That and I have no idea how jails are supposed to look like on Earth.”  
“Sometimes I forget you’re not from around here.”  
“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Because it doesn’t sound like one at all.”  
“You behave well… more human than the Doctor. You can’t forget he isn’t.”  
“Probably because he insults your species constantly.”  
“Seems you’re getting used to him already.”  
“Well he isn’t insulting my species, so why should it bother me?”

Clara rolled her eyes.

\--------------------------------------

“Here we are.”  
“A blue wooden box?”  
“Yes. What you’ll see inside will be seen as magic by your contemporaries, but just as the rotten food isn’t.”

The Doctor opened that TARDIS door and stepped inside. Aldith followed him and looked around fascinated.

“Doctor? I may believe you that this isn’t magic, but what is it?”  
“Well, I never thought of having to explain it to someone I wouldn’t be around for long, so I never came up with a simple explanation.”  
“I’ll take your word for it then. So it’s just bigger on the inside?”  
“I like it when people say that.”  
“What does it do?”  
“It travels in space and time. But much faster than what you’re used to.”  
“So I could visit my sister in this box? She lives ten miles away.”  
“In the blink of an eye.... You believe it travels in time?”  
“We all travel in time one moment per moment, why shouldn’t there be a device that can do it at another speed?”  
“You honestly amaze me, Aldith. Anyhow lets get investigating.”

The Doctor placed the rotten apple in a holder on the console and started typing.

“Beside travelling the TARDIS, the name of this box, also has some other tricks up her sleeve. Right now she is analysing the apple. Trying to find what is causing the rotting, where it is coming from.”  
“She is alive?”  
“How do you know?”  
“How else can she do such things? You need a brain for that.”  
“I sometimes forget in which stage of development you are. You don’t know computers or robots.”  
“What?”  
“Long story.”  
“Maybe you can tell me when we have more time.”

The Doctor and Aldith smiled. The moment of friendship was broken by the TARDIS who decided to go ding. 

“I think she’s done, or she’s trying to boycott my attempts to friendship again.”  
“Friendship is not a verb.”  
“Why not?”  
“How should I know, I didn’t invent this language.”

The TARDIS decided to ding more violently. 

“I’m coming! patience!” 

The Doctor pulled one of the screens towards himself. 

“I knew it, it’s always aliens.”  
“Foreigners?”  
“Yes, but these foreigners are not from Earth.”  
“Where are they from then?”  
“Beyond the sky.”  
“I have a feeling you don’t mean heaven with that. So… They live amongst the stars?”  
“Yes!”  
“How curious.”  
“Lets go pay them a visit.”

The Doctor put the TARDIS in flight.  
“Woah, are we moving?”  
“Yes, we are.”  
“I like the noise. Wrop wrop.”  
“I could kiss you, were this another regeneration.”  
“Long story?”  
“Yes.”  
“Seems you have many stories. I would really love to hear them some day, they sound truly fascinating.”  
“I’ve got many centuries worth of stories which I would love to share, but we really don’t have time now.”  
“You promise you’ll tell me someday?”  
“I’ll try, if you travel through time you don’t really follow it’s normal-”  
“The I’ll try is good enough.”

The TARDIS landed and to make sure the doctor noticed, she dinged really aggressively.

“We arrived. How about we go ask for an explanation?”  
“Lets.”

They left the TARDIS, arms linked, onto the space ship.

\-------------------------------------

“Urgh, I can’t stand doing nothing.”  
“I don’t really mind, it’s quite relaxing.”

Desmond was lying on his back and was eating some candy he had found in the TARDIS wardrobe while Clara was pacing up and down their cell.

“Instead of laying there eating something you found inside the TARDIS which might have been there for a thousand years, maybe you should think of a solution?”  
“I already have a solution though, you seemed so keen on spitting out a lot of ideas which you then declared incompetent. I didn’t want to interrupt you.”  
“You had a solution this whole time?”  
“I am a magician after all.”  
“Of course, an escape artist.”  
“Well, no. Those things need preparation in advance of getting locked up. No, my idea involves something else magicians can’t go without.”  
“What then?”  
“Every good magician has an ekanstac.”  
“And now you’ve forgotten I’m not from Thesmos.”  
“Oh yeah… This is an ekanstac.”

Desmond reached deeply into one of his pockets. From his pocket he pulled a creature that looked like a ferret. The only difference was that the brown fur was blond instead.

“An Ekanstac is a blond ferret. Alright.. But how is it going to help us.”  
“Her name is Mjun and she’s very well trained. She will get us the keys.”  
“It’s been in your pocket the whole time?”  
“SHE has, and she will help. As long as you don’t insult her intelligence.”

Desmond put Mjun in front of his face and smiled.

“Okay Mjun, you have to help us. You have to get the keys to that door and bring them back to me. It’s just like some of our tricks, but a bit more pressing. Got it? You’ll get a treat if you succeed”

He put Mjun on the ground and she took off to the door and climbed through the little opening.

“Now we wait. She will succeed, she’s saved my life a couple of times when I just started out and nearly drowned. Also she wants those sweets.”

\----------------------------------------------

“Really extraordinary. The walls, floors and ceilings are all made of metal. That must be so expensive.”  
“For them it’s not as expensive as it is for you.”  
“Am I among the stars now.”  
“We’re not that far yet. You could say we’re in between the stars and the sky.”

Their stroll was cut short when they turned a corner and nearly walked into the owners of the spacecraft. They were short and resembled gollum to a certain point. A big difference was that they seemed to have holes in their arms between their muscles and their bones. The Doctor stepped up to them.

“Hello, I’ll introduce myself. I am the Doctor and this is Aldith. We just arrived on your ship.”  
“Why are you here? explain yourselves.”  
“I will if you let me speak. I am here on behalf of the planet of which you make the food rot. As they are not yet capable of asking you themselves a very important question. Why?”  
“Why what?”  
“Hey!”  
“Aldith that you’re intelligent does not mean the others are.”  
“That’s true.”  
“Now explain yourselves. Why are you making their food rot?”  
“We’re trying to help them. We don’t want them to starve to death.”  
“You’re doing the exact opposite. My town is close to having a famine.”  
“Oooooh now I get it. You’re Reagonns. Reagonns only eat fermented food. They thought you were starving with all your not fermented food….”  
“So this is all a big misunderstanding?”  
“Yes, a misunderstanding. Misunderstandings happen a lot in space you know. It’s impossible not to with so many cultures and lifestyles.”  
“I appreciate the fact that you wanted to help, but next time you might want to check if you’re not hurting someone in the process.”  
“What she said. You need to do your research Reagonns. Think before you act.”  
“We get it, but there’s still a lot of people starving according to our data.”  
“That’s likely because their harvest failed, or they now have no food left. It will sort out itself.”

They all looked at Aldith including the Doctor, who was actually a little sad that he couldn’t just take her with him now he also had to take care of Desmond. He should come back once he got rid of him.The Doctor looked around and noticed a window.

“Hey, Aldith, I want to show you something.”

The Doctor grabbed her hand and went to the window.

“That right there, is Earth. It’s where you live. I thought you’d like to see that.”  
“I could never have guessed it looks like that. It does look beautiful like this, thank you.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desmond was still laying on the floor when he felt mjun lick his face.

“Hey Mjun, did you do it?”

As Desmond moved he heard the keys.

“Good job Mjun, you can grab some of the sweets, you deserve them!”  
“So she actually got them?”  
“Yes, I told you she’s smart.” He said as he picked up the keys.  
“Okay well open the door then.”

Desmond walked to the door and opened it. Mjun dragged the bag of sweets to Desmond and she climbed back into his pocket. He picked up the back and smiled. 

“And THAT is the reason why every magician needs a ekanstac.”

He looked at Clara and casually walked outside and for some reason he wasn’t spotted on his way out.

“There is no one keeping guard?”  
“There is someone sleeping in the corner.”

Clara walked out as well and saw that Desmond was right. Their guard had decided to take a nap.

“He must be a heavy sleeper.”  
“Lets not find out how heavy.”  
“Eh?”  
“I mean, lets get out of here, Desmond.”

\----------------------------------------------

The Doctor and Aldith made their way safely back to Earth. The Doctor closed the TARDIS’ doors behind him.

“Now all that is left to do is go back into town and get your friends out of jail.”  
“Which might be harder than it sounds. Convincing them that the problem is solved is not going to be easy.”

Right that moment Desmond and Clara rounded the corner and came into view.

“Or your friends could just get themselves out of it.”  
“That would make everything easier indeed.”

They both laughed.

“What’s so funny?”  
“Nothing, Clara. I think it is time for us to go.”  
“Will you visit again and tell me your stories?”  
“I most certainly am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where do you want to see Desmond next? Or what kind of stories do you want the Doctor to tell Aldith?

**Author's Note:**

> The secret is eighties music


End file.
